Machine for refolding paper tubes.



(No Model.)

Patented Sept. 23, [9 02. H. S. MUNSON.

MACHINE FOB REFOLDING PAPER TUBES (Application filed Aug. 4:. 1898) 4Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 709,503. 7 Patented Sept. 23, I902.

H. S. MUNSON. MACHINE FOR REFOLDING PAPER TUBES.

(Application filed Aug. 4. 1898 J 4 Sheets-8heet 2.

(No Model.)

No. 709,503. Patented Sept. 23, I902. H. S. MUNSON.

MACHINE FOR BEFULDING PAPER TUBES.

(Application filed Aug. 4, 1898.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shaet 3.

VIII/[IA THE NORRIS Pzvcns cn. Puma-Luna. wamuc-wu. u. c.

Patented Sept. 23, 1902.

H. s muuson. MAQHINEFOR BEFOLDING PAPER TUBES.

(Application filed Aug. 4. 1898.1

4 Sheets8heet 4.

(No Model.)

Frail/IF!!! "ma NORRIS versus no. mom-mun" WASHINGTON. o. c.

tnvrrnn STATES A'rnn'r FFICE.

HARVEY S. MUNSON, OF NEW HAVEN, DONNEGTIOUT.

MACHINE FOR REFOLDING PAPER TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,503, datedSeptember 23, 1902.

\ Application filed August 4,1898.

To all whom it vim/y con/corn.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY S. MUNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New llaven, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forRetolding Paper Tubes, fully described and represented in the followingspecification and the accom panying drawings, forming a part of thesame.

The object of this invention is to render supple or limp the definedlines upon which'a fiat blank must be bent to form it into a hollow tubethat is to receive and act as the container for contents, as a slide,entered into it. Two of these lines of folding are necessarily doubledin the act of forming the flat tube by folding inwardly its sides anduniting them, while the remaining two defined lines for folding remainin their primary or unfolded condition. Primarily said unfolded ordefined lines are rendered limp or supple by bending or folding themsuificiently to bring the flat tube up into hollow form, andincidentally this necessarily opens up or refolds the once-folded lines.This operation of opening up or bending the tube upon its foldinglinesis called refolding, and it is accomplished by the present improvementsin a machine embodying this invention in a most simple and effectivestructure, the several novel features whereof are too fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed to need preliminary explanation, except to saythat the essential characteristics of the mechanisms are a pair of sidecarrying-belts whose planes of travel gradually contract from theirreceiving to their delivering ends and of a pair of opposedguiding-belts gradually separating from the entrance to the exit pointin the other direction, whereby the space in which the tube is compelledto travel is so gradually contracted widthwise and expanded in theopposite direction as to cause the line of its travel to be so changedthat the combined strains thus imparted to the tube force it from thefiat tubular condition in which it is formed and cause it to assume ahollow or outspread tubular one, from which it may reassume or becollapsed into its flat tubular condition, it having thus been so foldedand refolded upon its folding-lines that the same Serial No. 687,701,(No model) will readily bend when the tube or short sections of a longtube are to assume a hollow tubular form in practical use, when theymust readily move on their fold-liues while being worked either by handmanipulation or a packing-machine during the operation of filling themas containers with their contents.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent a machine capable ofpractically carrying this invention into use, Figure l is a plan or topviewof such machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional elevation thereof on theline 30f Fig. 1, apaper-box tube being shown as undergoing the operation of beingrefolded. is across-sectional elevation taken on the section-line 4 ofFig. 2 as seen looking in the direction of its attached arrow, which islhatof the travel of the tube through the mechanisms. Fig. 5 is across-sectional elevation taken on the line 5 of Fig. l as seen lookingin the direction of its attached arrow, which is that of the travel ofthe tube through the machine. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 are enlargedcross-sectional elevations taken,respectively,

on the section-lines 6 7 8 9 of Fig. l as seen looking in the directionof the arrows connected with said lines, which is that of the travel ofthetube Ihroughthe machine,whereby the various forms assumed by the tubeas it is operated upon and undergoing refolding are renderedperspicuous.

The principal mechanisms are a pair of side carrying-belts 8 9 and topand bottom guiding-belts 10 11, all of which belts, though preferably ofleather, may be of any mate rial so long as they are strong and durableand preferably so heavy that when stretched they will form stable boundsbetween which the paper tube will be carried onward without forcing themapart to modify their action upon the tube; but lighter belts may beused when held in place by suitable bearers, as will hereinafter appear.The belts S O are led about and driven by pairs of pulleys 12 13 and 1415, which pulleys are preferably flanged to betterhold the belts inplace. (See Figs. 6 and 9.) The pulleys 12 13 are mounted fast uponspindles that are respectively provided with miter-gears 20 21, thatmesh with companion miter-gears 22 23, carried by the driving-shaft 24,and this gearing drives Fig. 4E

the belt pulleys 14: 15, which are idlers, through the belts 8 9.

From Fig. 6 it will be observed that the pulleys 12 13 have a commonhorizontal plane of motion, and from Figs. 5 and 9 it will be observedthat the pulleys 14. and 15 revolve in different horizontal planes, theplane in which pulley 15 revolves being somewhat above that in whichpulleys 12 and 13 revolve. All of these belt-carrying pulleys may run incommon planes, as will hereinafter appear in an explanation ofmodifications of the mechanisms.

By comparing Fig. 6 with Fig. 9 it will further be observed that thebelt-pulleys 14 15 are set nearer together than are the pulleys 12 13,or, in other words, the bearing-points between the pulleys 12 and 13 areat a distance equal to the width of the outspread or fiat tube, whilethe distance bet-ween the bearing-points of the pulleys 1115 or at theexitpoint of the tube is a distance equal to that of the outside bearingedges of the tube when in the opened-up or hollow tubular form, which isits refolding degree of outward spread.

When the flattened tubeis entered between the belts 8 9, its borderedges or outer folds engage these belts at about equal points widthwisethereof, and since the belt 9 runs horizontally the edge of the tubebearing upon it is carried horizontally by it through the machine; butas the belt 8 runs obliquely it results that the edge of the tube,whichis carried by the belt 8, is constantly and progressively lifted, or, inother words, that the opposite.

edges or outer folds of the tube are progressively moved toward eachother by being caused to travel or advance in planescoustantlyconverging,and because of the belts 8 9 progressivelydiverging edgewise as the exit end is approached it follows that the topand bottom plies of the flat tube are constantly and progressively movedaway from each other concertedly with the like movement of the sides ofthe tube toward each other, by which combined movements of its componentwalls the flattened condition of said tube, as seen in Fig. 6, isgradually changed to that of an open tube, as seen in Fig. 9, whichtransformation in being accomplished forces the component sides, top,and bottom of the tube to move with respect to each other upon thedefined folding-lines, whereon a flat blank is doubled to form the tubeand whereby said lines are folded and unfolded or refolded, and thus areso worked as to soften their resistance or cause them to become suppleor limp. In order to govern the opening up of this flat tube and causeits top and bottom plies to aid the operation, or, in other words,always secure precision in this operation, I now arrange longitudinallybetween the belts 8 9 guiding-belts 10 11 (they may be twisted) that isto say, running guiding-belts that bear on the top and bottom plies ofthe tube throughout the length of its travel through the machine, orsubstantially so-in such manner as to provide suitable bearings inconstantly-differing planes and properly support and hold the tube tothe action of the belts 8 9 and cause a complete refolding of the tubeand also prevent buckling, and these guiding-belts 1O 11 are so mountedand run that although they bear considerably upon the tube at itsentrance end the dimensions of their bearing parts are quickly reduced,so as to become substantially a point by reason of the shape so speedilygiven to the tube to produce such bearing or contact. These continuousguiding-belts 1011 thus form the top and bottom guides, and they arestretched throughout the machine so as to suitably bear on the upper andlower parts of the tube being refolded. They are preferably caused torun flatwise through the machine, though they may be twisted, as beforestated and as will be hereinafter explained. They have the advantage offorming an open entrance for the reception of the tube end, because theyspread away from each other at that point in turning over theircarrying-pulleys. They generally present throughout their length aconstantly and progressively widening pathway for the tube, againstwhich belts the upper and lower angles of the tube bear, except at theentrance-point, where in the collapsed condition of the tube theyprovide a more @1- teuded widthwise bearing for the tube. In addition totheir constant and progressive separation from the entrance to the exitend of the machine the carrying-pulleys for these belts 10 11,preferably flanged, are set in different vertical planes, or so that theupper guiding-belt 10 will run at one side of the common central pointbetween the belt-carrying pulleys 12 13 and 14 15, and the lowerguiding-belt 11 will run at theopposite side of said central pointormidway between the belts 8 9 and each follow true courses through themachine, the carrying-belts 8 9, respectively, approaching theseguiding-belts 10 11, so that at the eXit end of the machine, as shown,the belt 8 bears against the edge of the belt 10 and the belt 9 or itscarrying-pulley bears against the belt 11. The upper belt 10 runs over apulley 67'at the entrance end of the machine, traverses through themachine between the belts 8 and 9 to the pulley 68, from which itreturns over an adjustable tightening-drum 69 to said pulley 67. Thelower belt 11 runs over a pulley 70 at the entrance end and travelsthrough the machine between the belts 8 9 to a pulley 71, aroundwhich'it returns over tighteningpulleys 72 78 to the pulley 70. Thepulley 67 is hung in arms 74 75 at the entrance end,whereby it may beadjusted vertically, suitable setscrews 76 77 fixing its adjustment, andthe pulley 68 at the exit end of the machine is mounted uponspringseated boxes 78, controlled by a set-screw 79, whereby therequisite pressure of the belt 10 it carries is exerted upon the upperedge of the tube and its adjustment to suit the dimensions thereof isaccomplished. These npperandlowerbelts are driven from a toothed wheel80 on the driving-shaft 24: through intermediates Si, 82, 83, 84, and85, the shaft of the pulley 7O carrying the intermediate 82, and theshaft of the pulleyb7 carrying the intermediate 85, and the pulleys 7178 being propelled by the belts 10 and 1].

As thus far described, assuming the machine to have been built for thetreatment of a given size of hox-tube, as a standard cigarette-box tube,its operation will be readily understood.

For convenience, although it is non-essential, a feeding-table 43 withan adjustable guiding-ledge 93 is. provided, and one after another oflom. and flat box-tubes, suitable to be cut up into short containers,are entered between the belts S E) and the guides 10 11, as in Fig. 6.The leading end of this tube, very slightly pressed open by the act ofin troducing it, is frictionally seized by its opposite folded edges,and thus caused to take up the movement of the belts. It is carried bythem continuously and progressively onward and is regularly com pressedor nar rowed up Widthwise,so that the opposite sides and top and bottomplies move in opposite directions, each connected side and ply bendingon the outermost folded corner as contracting t'nlcrums and each suchside and ply bending on one of the remaining folded corners as anenlarging fulcrum. As this movement proceeds the tube is caused toassume a rhomboidal form, as in Fig. 7, then becomes rectangular, as inFig. 9, then, nu'iving still further, assumes a lilOlllbOltldl formbeyond the rectangular, this conversion of the transverse form of ittaking up the shapes intermediate those illustrated, and thus the fiattube of Fig. 6 is opened out by its walls moving upon its lines of folduntil its connectingfolds are moved from an inward-folded condition intoan obtuse-angled fold, and its no folded lines are moved from the flat.unfolded condition and folded or bent into the acuteangled fold shown inFig. 9. The tube thus treated has all of its folding-lines broughtintothat supple, limp, or refolded condition suiting them for convenientmanipulation in forming them into containers for contents and loadingthem therewith. Paper-tubes of this character are now extensively madein varying sizes, the refolding of which various-sized tubes is providedfor in this machine as follows: The spindles of the belt-pulleys 12 13have their bearings in boxes l 5, that are capable of moving laterallyby means of sliders that bear in facing ways cut'in a slidingcarrier-block 44. These boxes at 5 are re- The carrier-block 44 slideslongitudinally on ways provided for it at each side of a recess in thebed-plate, being provided with an adjnstingscrew 51, rotativelyconnected with the block 44, the threaded shank of said screw turning ina threaded nut 52, that is fast to the bed-plate and provided at itsouter end with a hand operating-wheel The spindles of the belt-- pulleysl4 15 have their bearings in boxes 6 7, that are capable of movinglaterally by means of sliders that bear in facing ways out in a slidingcarrierblock 54-. These boxes 6 7 are respectively provided withadjusting-screws 55 50, having their inner ends connected rotatively tosaid boxes and having their threaded shau ks turning, respectively, inthreaded nuts 57 58, fixed to the bed-plate and hearing at their outerends, respectively, hand operatingwheels 5H 60. The carrierblock 5%slides longitudinally on ways provided for itat each side of a recess inthe bed-plate, being provided with an actuating-screw (31, r0- tativelyconnected with the block 54:, the threaded shank of said screw turningin a threaded nut (52, that is fast to the bed-plate and being providedat its outer end with a hand operating-wheel (33. Then, therefore, it isdesirable or necessary to adjust the band pulleys 12 13 or 14 15 to orfront each other, this maybe accomplished by suitably turning thehand-wheels 4.) 50 or 59 GO, and when this companion set of belt-pulleys12 13 is to be adjusted bodily to or from the companion set ofbelt-pulleys 14 15 this is readily eifected by suitably turning thehand-wheels 53 62, one or both. One such adjustment only is necessary,exceptwhen a very long tube is to be treated, when it maybe desirable tomake both adjustments. If, however, the carrierblook 44 is to beadjustable, the bracket 64 will also be appropriately adjusted by itsslotted bearing and holding screws 65 (36, providedfor that purpose. Thecompensating movement of the pulley 68 through its springseated hearingswill serve for all sizes of tubes to be refolded; but a suitableadjustment through its screws 79 will be adequate. At the entrance endthe gnide-belt 10 may be adjusted to vertically suit the thickness ofthe box-tube material operated upon by means of its arms 75, which aremovable and provided with screws 77, by which they can be fixed in anydesired position.

It is preferable to mount the side carryingbelt pulley15 in a planehigher than its companions supporting the side carrying-belts, for thereason that in such an arrangement the openingup movement of the tube isthe more smoothly accomplished with less liability to smndging thefreshly-printed edge or otherwise mat-ring the surface of the tubeoperated upon; but it will be readily apparent that such pulley 15 maybe rotated in the same horizontal plane as its companion 14, in whichcase the tube undergoing treatment will travel slightly over the surfaceof the belt 8.

It has been explained why the bearers 29 30 are advantageous in thismachine, especially Where the belts are thin, as they may be with suchbearers. It will therefore be understood that where the top and bottomguides are provided in the form of belts 10 11 the same active forceexerted by the tube undergoing refolding will tend to distort thesebelts 1O 11 and injuriously modify their action. It is therefore to beUnderstood that these belts may be provided with similar bearers asthose marked 29 30 used in connection with the belts 8 9.

What is claimed is' 1. A paper-tube-refoiding mechanism comprising sidebelts whose planes of travel grad ually approach from their receiving totheir delivering points, and opposed top and bottom belts whose planesof travel gradually separate from their receiving to their deliveringpoints, whereby the space within which thetube is compelled to travel isgradually contracted in one direction and expanded in the other, andstrains are exerted on the tube that cause its plies to move laterallyupon its folding-lines and transform it from a flat or collapsedcondition into a hollow or distended one, substantially as described.

2. A paper-tube-refolding mechanism comprisingside belts whose planes oftravel grad ually approach from their receiving to their deliveringpoints and which diverge edgewise, and opposed top and bot-tom belts theplanes of whose bearing-faces gradually separate from their receiving totheir deliveringpoints, whereby the space within which the tube iscompelled to travel is gradually contracted in one direction andexpanded in the other, and one edge of the tube is moved out of theplane in which the other edge travels, and strains are exerted on-thetube that cause its plies to move laterally on its folding-lines andtransform it from a flat or collapsed condition into a hollow ordistended one, substantially as described.

. 3. A paper-tube-refolding mechanism comprising side belts Whose planesof travel gradually approach from their receiving to their deliveringpoints, opposed top and bottom belts the planes of whose bearing-facesgradually separate from their receiving to their delivering points,whereby the space within which the tube is compelled to travel isgradually contracted in one direction and expanded in the other, andstrains are exerted upon the tube that cause its plies to move laterallyon its folding-lines and transform it from a fiat or collapsed conditioninto a hollow or distended one, and bearers holding one or both sets ofbelts to duty against distortion, substantially as described.

4. Apaper-tuberefolding mechanism comprising side belts whose planes oftravel gradually approach from their receiving to their de liveringpoints, opposed top and bottom belts, the planes of whose bearing-facesgradually separate from their receiving to their delivering points, andan elastic bearing for the carrying-pulley for the delivery end of thetop belt, substantially as described.

5. A paper-tube-refolding mechanism comprising side belts whose planesof travel grad ually approach from their receiving to theirdeliverin gpoints, opposed top and bottom belts, the planes of whose bearing-facesgradually separate from their receiving to their delivering points, andadjustable arms for supporting the carrying-pulley for the receiving endof the top belt whereby the space for the tube between the pulleys ofthe top and bottom belt at the entrance-point may be adjusted,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HARVEY S. MUNSON.

Vitnesses:

E. G. THOMPSON, G. M. BoRsT.

